The perfect summer treat without the guilt!

I knew when I started making my own Brazil Nut Milk to add to my morning coffee that I was fully committed to this vegan lifestyle. For years I loved half n half in my coffee, but nothing I found in the grocery store could replace it's creamy texture and beautiful blend with my rich, dark morning brew... until now. Once I conquered that battle, it became a breeze to change the way I ate. I am now, for the most part on a vegan plant based diet and have been for the past 8 months... and I feel better than ever!

How do you stay committed to a strict yet healthy eating plan without going crazy? Meet my new love: Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss. This yummy non dairy coconut milk wonder has me over the moon! Sweetened with agave syrup it has a low glycemic index which doesn't alter your blood sugar as much a sugar and it's super creamy texture will have your kid's asking, "Are you sure it's not ice cream?"

It's decadent treats like this once and a while that keeps me sane on this path to health and vitality. My favorite flavors so far are Pineapple Coconut and Hazelnut Chocolate Fudge. Grab a pint and let me know what you think! It's a perfect summertime treat. Find your bliss and enjoy!

- post by Stacey

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A Brilliant Idea...

Here is a brilliant idea from one of my favorite bloggers... a do it yourself earring holder! Colorful, vibrant and very creative here is a quick way to solve one of those annoying clutter problems we all face at some point with our jewelry. What I really like about this is that you see all of your jewelry so your more likely to grab a pair you haven't worn in a while... I tend to wear a lot of the same jewelry all the time because I keep my stuff stored away in a case.

If you have any creative ideas like this send us an email and we can post it for our readers! Thanks for listening.

-post by Stacey
photos courtesy of Modish

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Eric Michael Boots - Designed To Fit!

'Juno' by Eric Michael - $209
'Madrid' by Eric Michael - $269
'Tuscany' by Eric Michael - $249

Although it’s only mid July, our current weather in Southern Oregon has me thinking it’s fall. To make matters worse, our fall line of boots is starting to arrive and they are quite lovely. I’m starting to feel content with our cold and rainy summer because if I decide to purchase one of the new beauties I can start wearing it now! Eric Michael boots arrived a few days ago, and what’s really great about this line is the design of the boots. I’m not necessarily talking about the bells and whistles that make the boots beautiful, but the fact that they are designed to be worn by women of all body types.

I have always had a hard time finding a tall boot that looks good on me. I have tiny bird legs, and I’m always swimming in the boot shaft. I find myself falling in love with a boot, but unable to buy it because the shaft is just too baggy on me and looks a little silly. Working at Village Shoes, I come across women who have the same problem as me, but also see women who can’t buy a boot because the shaft is too small for them. The designers of Eric Michael boots did something right when they designed a lot of their tall-shaft boots with a zipper on the side along with a lace up front that allows you to tighten or loosen the shaft to fit. With this kind of option, women with larger calves or very small calves can fit into the same boot.

The Juno, Tuscany, and Madrid boot by Eric Michael all have this option, so the problem won’t be that the boot doesn’t fit right, it’ll be that you have to actually choose one!

post by Amanda

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Laurel Denise Jewelry!

Handcrafted in the USA, these one of a kind pieces are in store now! Come by and check them out! Laurel Denise Jewelry.

who she is:
laurel “lolly” smith, owner and designer of laurel denise.

what she does:
simply put, laurel accessorizes an accessory. she uses her original illustrations and her unique handwriting to create stunning glass and sterling pieces.

why she’s here:
because of a dream.

no, really. in 2005, laurel had a dream and in it she was using new tools and innovative materials to craft the beautiful creations that have since become the distinct and unique laurel denise aesthetic. before that dream, she’d never even heard of some of these tools and never ever thought her life would be filled with jewelry design.

laurel graduated from james madison university in 2003 with a degree in studio art. if you sat down to get coffee with laurel (iced, please, with a little bit of cinnamon), she'd measure her college years by those "late-nights of printmaking", one of her first studio art obsessions. later, laurel lived and worked just outside of new york city, developing what would become laurel denise.

but laurel's tendency towards art and creativity started even earlier than that. her childhood memories are speckled with what she calls "experiments," a favorite of which was on a home-bound snowy day,

"my two sisters, my mom and i decided to paint my niece’s room--i remember sitting on the window sill, painting little fairies inside and out, fading their dresses, giving their hair depth and adding smiles to their faces...i think it was the first time i felt really good at something, like maybe that’s what i was put on earth to do—to create and show love through art."

laurel has been creating her whole life. her vision and motivation behind laurel denise is not simply to make jewelry, but to take what could be considered a “job” and make it into art. laurel wants to take jewelry and turn it into an experience, a story, pieces that can be passed down.

laurel's dedication to her unique and authentic product make wearing her jewelry personal: to wear laurel denise is to know laurel denise, and, hopefully to draw inspiration from her art to yours.

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Great Arch Support in a Flip Flop - Rainbow Sandals

Now that summer has officially arrived, I find myself wearing mostly flip-flops. I’ve been wearing them since I was a kid and they feel just as normal on my feet as a pair of sneakers. Being on my feet all day, I can’t just wear any flip flops…I need something that offers arch support and durability. That being said, Rainbow Sandals are a summer staple of mine.

The founder of Rainbow Sandals, Jay R. Longley, decided to design a sandal of his own after seeing one too many broken flip-flops abandoned on the beach. He developed a special sponge rubber that would mold to a customer’s foot, giving them a customized foot-bed. To ensure that his sandals didn’t wind up broken, littering the sand, he formulated a special glue that keeps the layers together and the straps in place. Jay also kept high and low arches in mind by designing his sandals with various levels of support.

The single-layer arch design is great for those with flat feet or a low arch, and the double-layer arch is a life saver for those with high arches (myself included!). The leather straps are intentionally tight, which allows you to stretch them by wear, creating the perfect fitting strap. Jay guarantees that your Rainbow Sandal with hold up for at least as long as the life of the sole, and thus far, after YEARS of wear, mine are still in tip-top shape.

Don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself. With Rainbow’s guarantee, you have nothing to worry about. They’ll repair your sandals against manufacturing defects which includes delamination, the strap pulling out, or stitching coming apart, before either the top or bottom wears through anywhere into the next layer.

How can you go wrong? Try a pair for yourself today and get walking!

- post by Amanda

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Ginger Lemonade Summer Cocktail...

So I went home last week not feeling great... I decided to take action and juiced fresh Ginger and Lemons and made a homemade Ginger Lemonade concentrate. It was so delicious, refreshing and immune boosting at the same time. A few days later when I was feeling better I concocted a fabulous Ginger lemonade summer spritzer with Vodka. It was amazing and I decided to share my recipe here with all of you... Enjoy and raise a glass for me!

Ginger Lemonade Summer Cocktail
1-2 inches of fresh Ginger
4 Organic Lemons
1/4 cup agave syrup
3 cups Water as needed

Directions:
Juice Ginger and lemons, add agave syrup and add water. This is very concentrated so you may need more sweet or more water depending on how tart it tastes to you.

For the cocktail- add ice, sparkling water and Vodka!

Let me know how you like it!

- post by Stacey

photo courtesy of Liking Lusting Loving

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